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Two youths jailed for Bromsgrove knife robberies

TWO youths have been jailed for Bromsgrove robberies in which they threatened victims with a knife.

The 17-year-olds were jailed for three years by Worcester Crown Court on Friday, February 14, after admitting two robberies and an attempted robbery.

They happened on subsequent evenings in early July last year when they forced an 18-year-old man to hand over an Apple iPhone, worth £500, and searched the pockets of 20-year-old man, taking a Samsung Galaxy phone and a wallet, worth a total of £540.

The defendants, from Bromsgrove and Evesham, were also charged with attempting to rob a 19-year-old woman who was with the first victim.

The robberies took place in the Sanders Park and Worcester Road areas of the town. The defendants later tried to sell the phones.

Detective Constable Ash Kumar of West Mercia Police said: “The youths responsible were aged only 16 at the time.

"One was known to the police, while the other had no previous convictions.

“They were aggressive to their victims, showing them a knife, threatening to kill one of them and claiming to be part of a notorious gang.

"There is no doubt the victims were too afraid to resist."

DC Kumar said the incidents, happening in the same area of the town on subsequent evenings, caused a considerable amount of concern in the local community.

He added: “We are pleased they have been detected and hope the sentences demonstrate the severity with which the courts view these types of offences.”